Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/578494
6 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 2015 News PUBLIC CONSULTATION MEETING in relation with the Environmental Impact Assessment for the TRK159436: Removal of dumped material and construction of industrial unit for the recycling/ WUHDWPHQWRI:(((DW++)ƪDO)DU4DVDP,QGXVWULMDOL %LUĪHEEXƥD0DOWD($ Date: Tuesday 13th October 2015 Venue: Socjeta Filarmonika San Pietru µƤDZKUDWD¶6DQ3LHWUX¶ 7ULT%LUĪHEEXƥD %LUĪHEEXƥD0DOWD Time: 17:30 onwards 7KH SXEOLF LV FRUGLDOO\ LQYLWHG WR DWWHQG IRU WKLV SXEOLF PHHWLQJ DQG WR UHTXHVW LQIRUPDWLRQ DQG FODUL¿FDWLRQV GLVFXVV ZLWK WKH FRQVXOWDQWV DQG comment on the impacts of the proposal or on the DVVHVVPHQWLWVHOI7KHUHZLOODOVREHDSXEOLFH[KLELWLRQ 7KLV LV SDUW RI WKH FRQVXOWDWLRQ SURFHVV DERXW WKH SURSRVHG GHYHORSPHQW DQG LV QRW WKH ¿QDO GHFLVLRQ WDNLQJPHHWLQJ$OOFRPPHQWVPDGHGXULQJWKHPHHWLQJ ZLOOEHUHFRUGHG &RSLHV RI WKH GUDIW (QYLURQPHQWDO ,PSDFW 6WDWHPHQWPD\EHYLHZHGDWWKHRI¿FHVRIWKH0DOWD (QYLURQPHQW DQG 3ODQQLQJ $XWKRULW\ 6W )UDQFLV 5DYHOLQ)ORULDQDDQG%LUĪHEEXƥD/RFDO&RXQFLOGXULQJ RI¿FHKRXUV :ULWWHQ VXEPLVVLRQV FDQ DOVR EH PDGH E\ QRW ODWHU WKDQ 7XHVGD\ WK 2FWREHU 7KHVH VKRXOG EH DGGUHVVHG WR WKH 'LUHFWRU (QYLURQPHQW 3URWHFWLRQ 'LUHFWRUDWH 0DOWD (QYLURQPHQW DQG 3ODQQLQJ$XWKRULW\6W)UDQFLV5DYHOLQ)ORULDQDRUVHQWWR HPDLODGGUHVVHLDPDOWD#PHSDRUJPW )XUWKHUGHWDLOVFDQEHREWDLQHGIURP KWWSZZZPHSDRUJPWSHUPLWWLQJHDFRQV Religious buildings singled out for policy revision JAMES DEBONO THE Malta Environment and Plan- ning Authority wants to change a planning policy approved in 2013 which allows it to deviate from lo- cal plan plans when assessing per- mits related to places dedicated for "public worship". The public was invited to send its submissions on the policy revision over the past weeks. But the present policy does not directly refer to places of public worship, but to "social and com- munity facilities for the locality". Other instances where flexibil- ity is encouraged with regards to issues like zoning concerns cases involving the rehabilitation of old buildings, properties with a façade on main squares, and properties with a legitimate operating license aiming for expansion. The policy does not allow MEPA to deviate from height limitations established in local plans. Religious buildings are only men- tioned as an example of commu- nity facilities alongside "local clubs and post offices". But the objective of the policy re- vision is restricted to the exclusion of places in connection with public worship from the list of instances in the 2013 'General Policy relat- ing to Regeneration/Consolidation Initiatives', when MEPA may con- sider departures from local plan policies. A MEPA spkesperson failed to answer MaltaToday's questions on what prompted this policy re- vision and whether other facilities apart from places of public worship – such as local clubs – will be af- fected by the revision. The present policy is intended to give MEPA a degree of flexibil- ity in identified situations where a justified departure may be deemed sensible or desirable from a plan- ning point of view. But the policy does not allow any departure from height limitations established in the local plan and was mostly aimed at encouraging the rehabilitation of old buildiings and the opening of offices in towns and villages. In all cases where MEPA re- sorts to this policy it is obliged to indicate in writing the planning grounds upon which the specific departures from policies are based upon. Teachers' union reports positive outcome from Archbishop's meeting MAT THEW VELLA TEACHERS' union MUT has hailed a positive meet- ing it held with Archbishop Charles Scicluna, after it f lagged a series of abusive recruitment policies by schools within the Church 's education secretariat. The union said it was satisfied with the positive outlook of the meeting and the willingness of the Arch- bishop to discuss and seek a solution. "The discussion focused on recruitment is- sues and included the pres- entation of a document with suggestions proposed by the Union." During the meeting, the MUT reiterated its collabo- rative stance to the Arch- bishop in order to make sure that any instances of abuse and malpractice are investi- gated and to improve on the current situation so as to en- sure that such instances do not repeat themselves. "Going forward, the MUT will be meeting again with the Archbishop to dis- cuss implemented changes. Meanwhile, members are still advised – as per usual practice – to contact the Union for any assistance needed." Last week the MUT called for serious discussion with the view of improving the recruitment process through "honesty, transparency and good practice" after what it called a spate of abusive practices, particularly in the recruitment of teachers. The union said it was in- formed "shambolic practices that are not only a shame on those schools and their lead- ers but also a far cry from the 'Catholic practice' be- ing suddenly expected from Church school teachers". On its part, the Church Schools Association said that the MUT's " bullying" towards the Secretariat for Catholic Education and the Church Schools leaders was "neither respectful nor con- ducive to any progress in education in Malta." Examples of abuse report- ed included teachers being blatantly singled out during interviews because of their gender, others told they only wanted to employ male teachers and others who had their job terminated for no apparent reason "except per- haps because the post was being reserved for someone else". Dingli cliffs quarry extension to benefit from de-listing JAMES DEBONO THE government has agreed to de-list a prop- erty located near the coastal cliffs in Dingli from the list of Areas of High Landscape Value and from the list of buffer zones to areas of ecological importance. The decision will seal the fate of a twice-re- jected quarry extension on a site located in Ta' Demjrek in Siggiewi near the coastal cliffs in Dingli. In 2008, the Malta Environment and Plan- ning Authority had rejected an application for the extension of the quarry presented by Julian Vella. The applicant also wanted to in- crease the depth of rock extraction from the current 10 metres to 35 metres. Following this refusal the appli- cant applied for a reconsideration of this decision, which is still under MEPA's consideration. MEPA had already refused an extension of the quarry over the scheduled site in 1998 and MEPA's Appeal's tribunal had confirmed this decision. The applicant's architect had claimed that the surface of the quarry – including the part which had been scheduled – had been le- gally excavated through a permit dating back to the early 1990s. An enforcement order stopping the owner from operating on the site was issued after the site was sched- uled in 1996. The case officer report confirms that the area is covered by a police licence issued in 1992, but after the area was scheduled in June 1996 the owners where advised to stop works in the protected area. The quarry site is situated near the coastal cliffs at Dingli and forms part of another four licensed hard- stone quarries at Ta' Zuta, adjacent to each other. The original licensed boundary was larger and included the northern part of the quarry. However, in 1995 the boundary was revised in view of the schedul- ing of the coastal cliffs. The area delisted by government consists of the intersection between the quarry which is marked in red and the scheduled zone marked in blue